Families for Orphans provides information about orphans, orphan ministry, and adoptions. Our goal is to help orphans get into families... and to provide love and hope for children who do not have a family.

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We often get questions about adopting from India. Marla Summers has researched such adoptions, and offers these insights and resources...

By Marla Summers

No one ever said that
doing hard things comes naturally, much less easily. But in some way that’s why
we attempt what everyone else deems confusing and challenging. Something in us
make us fly to the other side of the globe and navigate foreign regulations and
brave a culture so different than our own. Something that makes those long
months of waiting so worth it. Something that goes beyond the physical,
stretching us farther than our highest dreams. The journey? Adoption.

Why India?

According to UNICEF,
India is home to over 55 million orphans, making up almost half of its total
child population. India stands first in the world for the number of orphaned
children, as well as those affected by HIV, both rates being expected to double
in the next five years. The unimaginable challenges these children face is
compounded by the stigma associated with the disease, marking them as a class
of untouchables according to the caste system still present today. Many
children are also abandoned by their parents due to the extreme poverty made no
easier by feeding yet another mouth.

India is a member of the
Hague Adoption Convention, requiring its children to meet the requirements of
the Convention in order to be eligible for adoption. The Government of India
requires that the child must have placement attempted with a family in India
before the child is eligible for international adoption or fostering. Around
4,000 Indian orphans found their way into stable homes in the U.S. the past
decade, a number that is expected to decline in the next few years. And that’s
bad news for the growing numbers of abandoned children who call the streets of
India their home.

Guidelines for
Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs)

The Government of India
allows a child to be given in adoption under the following circumstances:

- To an individual
irrespective of his or her marital status

- To a childless couple

- To a couple with at
least two years of stable marital relationship

- There may be no more
than three children already in the home

More specifically, there
is additional eligibility criteria for PAPs as outlined by the government to
ensure the well-being and stability of the child's new family. The legal age of
the PAP(s) is between 25 and 50 years, give or take five years depending on the
age of the child and the circumstances. Couples in live-in relationships are
not eligible to adopt a child, and the Indian Government does not knowingly
place children with homosexual couples. The PAP(s) should have sufficient
financial resources to raise the child, especially if he or she has special
needs. Also, neither PAP should have a physical or mental condition that would
prevent them from taking care of the child.

Beginning the Adoption
Procedure

1. Choose an adoption
service provider

2. Apply to be found
eligible to adopt

3. Be matched with a
child

4. Apply for the child
to be found eligible for adoption

5. Adopt child (or gain
legal custody) in India

6. Bring the child
to the US and acclimate to the culture and language
In total, the approximate cost
of the adoption ranges from $13,000-$16,000 + travel + Indian visa + the cost
of finalizing the adoption. PAPs must register with a single Hague-accredited
adoption agency, located nearest to their place of residence if possible. All
foreign adoptions from India go through the CARA authorized agency referred to
as the Authorized Foreign Adoption Agency (AFAA) and follow the guidelines at
the CARA website, www.adoptionindia.nic.in.
After you have submitted your dossier, the waiting time will probably run over
a year for a girl and probably longer for a boy, depending on availability.
PAPs with Indian descent or those seeking to adopt special needs children are
given priority in the adoptions.

Special Needs Children

For the purposes of
adoption, the "special needs" banner extends to children in the
following categories:

- Children having
visible or serious medical conditions, mental or physical

- Older children

- Siblings

- Extremely low birth
weight children (as certified by a Government Medical Officer)

It is the role of the
Specialized Adoption Agency to make efforts to prepare the special needs child
for adoption, especially in the category of emotional preparation. The PAP(s)
will receive detailed medical data and orientation sessions to help them to
understand the child's needs and make an educated decision. It is advised that
the older children are counseled and begin the bonding process as soon as
possible, as well as learning English early on, if applicable. Special
needs children are often a better fit for older and experienced parents and
those who have the skills, patience, and experience to be better equipped to
parent such a child.

Finalizing the Adoption

After the referral has
been received, there will be a second wait of 4-6 months before the PAP(s)
receives the legal documents required to travel to India to pick up the
child. There is a fair degree of differing on travel requirements, depending on
the Indian child welfare institution your agency is connected with. The PAP(s)
will be obligated to spend anywhere from 3-5 days to 5-6 weeks in the Indian
state visiting the child or the institution. According to the Indian
Government, the minimum adoption age for the child ranges from two to four
years, depending on the state and agency.

The process for
finalizing the adoption (or gaining legal custody) in India generally includes
the following three parties.

- Adoption Authority

The Central Adoption
Resource Agency is the official national agency that oversees international
adoptions in India.

- The Court

The court will normally
require, at a minimum the “No Objection Certificate” (NOC), a birth certificate
or affidavit of birth, and evidence of abandonment to grant the custody order.

- Role of Adoption
Agencies

In addition, all
recognized adoption agencies (or placement agencies) in India are local and
must be registered with their Indian state Voluntary Coordinating Agency (VCA).
Placement agencies do not provide national coverage, so PAPs must determine the
Indian state from which they propose to adopt. The Central Adoption Resource
Agency (CARA), established in 1990, licenses all the VCAs and all Indian
placement agencies.

Conclusion

Whether adoption has
been something long on your heart or it is an option you have only just
considered recently, there has never been a better time to give a child a
second chance. The legal process may seem daunting, but the best journeys are
never the easy ones. And you too will come to admire the struggling street
children of India and the parents that work tirelessly to call them their own.

“The needs are
great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do
small things, with great love, and together we can do something
wonderful.” - Mother Teresa

This summer, 11 orphans from Luga Orphanage (about four hours south of St. Petersburg) will have the opportunity to spend two weeks at a summer church camp at New Generation Church in Gatchina.

These fun-filled weeks will encourage the kids to take their relationship with God to a whole new level. According to Natasha Kirillova, head of the Help for Children ministry in St. Petersburg, the orphans at Luga are already expressing a personal interest in getting to know God. They continue to ask a lot of questions about Christianity, and some have begun to read the Bible regularly and to pray.

If sending orphans to a summer camp sounds easy enough, think again. There are new regulations that often make paperwork a time-consuming challenge, and then there is the challenge of funding.

In order to attend summer camp in Gatchina, these precious children need to find sponsors to cover their expenses. "Children are looking forward for that opportunity," says Natasha, "and will be happy and grateful to every sponsor."

The cost for each child to spend two weeks at the Christian camp is about $200. These gifts are considered as more than simply generous donations. They are investments, both in the lives of the Russian orphans and in the kingdom of God.

Please meet Zina Starostenkova, one of the orphans who seeks a sponsor for the summer church camp:

Zina Starostenkova is a creative fourteen-year-old who enjoys playing soccer. Up until age
five, she lived with her mother, grandmother, and brother. While for now she
only occasionally visits her mother, she hopes to once again live at home.

You can give a donation to help Zina go to summer church camp by clicking on the GIVE button to go to our secure donation page.

This summer, 11 orphans from Luga
Orphanage (about four hours south of St. Petersburg) will have the opportunity
to spend two weeks at a summer church camp at New Generation Church in
Gatchina.

These fun-filled weeks will encourage the kids to take their
relationship with God to a whole new level. According to Natasha Kirillova,
head of the Help for Children ministry in St. Petersburg, the orphans at Luga
are already expressing a personal
interest in getting to know God. They continue to ask a lot of questions
about Christianity, and some have begun to read the Bible regularly and to
pray.

If sending orphans to a summer
camp sounds easy enough, think again. There are new regulations that often make
paperwork a time-consuming challenge, and then there is the challenge of funding.

In order to attend summer camp in
Gatchina, these precious children need
to find sponsors to cover their expenses. "Children are looking
forward for that opportunity," says Natasha, "and will be happy and
grateful to every sponsor."

The cost for each child to spend
two weeks at the Christian camp is about $200. These gifts are considered as
more than simply generous donations. They
are investments, both in the lives of the Russian orphans and in the kingdom of
God.

Please meet Andrej Streshnev, one of the orphans who seeks a sponsor for the summer church camp:

Andrej Streshnev is a creative fourteen-year-old who
also enjoys computer games. He moved to Luga when he was seven due to alcoholic
parents. His brother has already been adopted. Andrej dreams of having his own
Sony Play station.

To make a donation to help Andrej attend summer church camp, just click on the GIVE button to go to our secure donation page.

Here is an email we received today from Pastor George Fernandes, who was preaching in remote tribal village area near Bhadrachalam. Read and rejoice with Pastor George!

Dear beloved...
Greetings.
Today is the final day of the meetings in Bhadrachalam.
Today I preached on "Jesus Risen Again" to answer four questions: 1. Doubt 2. Guilt or sin 3. Loneliness, and4. Death.
I gave an altar call. There were 230 people and 40 children attended the
meeting. All children came forward, and 180 adults came forward. Two youths wanted me to baptise them immediately .
All Glory and Honor to my Father in Heaven! Heaven rejoiced!. Everyone felt and
experienced the Day of Pentecost. Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
Hallelujah!.
God is great.
In Christ,Pastor George

Young man is baptized at Bhadrachalm!

Please consider becoming a partner with Pastor George to support ministry to orphans and widows, evangelism, church-planting, and pastor training. We prayerfully seek those who will carry God's love and His message to the people of India. Your gift of any size will be a wonderful blessing for this ministry! Just click on the GIVE button to go to our secure online donation page.

On most mornings, the children at New Hope for Children orphanages arise at 5:00 a.m. to pray, read scriptures, sing, and praise the Lord.Please enjoy this brief video, and praise the Lord for the hearts of these precious children!To view the video, click here.We are currently seeking sponsors and financial partners to cover the cost of feeding, clothing, educating, and providing a loving Christian environment for more than 120 children in four orphanages.To learn more about sponsoring a child and meet some of the children who need sponsors, click here.

Currently, 46 children have sponsors and 78 children do not... so New Hope is praying for those who will partner with them and help provide food, clothing, and education for children who do not have sponsors.If you would like to make a one-time donation or help with a regular donation, just click on the GIVE button. A donation of just $10 per month will provide food for one child for an entire month!